Nici Wickes: Beef fillet with mustard tarragon crème

A beef fillet is as impressive as it is easy to cook and serve for a crowd. Get your butcher to prepare the eye fillet, removing silver skin and tying with kitchen string at 5cm intervals. This is for even cooking and ease of slicing. 

Serves 10-12 

 

Ingredients 

2-2.3kg beef eye fillet 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 teaspoons sea salt 

4 tablespoons each fresh thyme and rosemary leaves 

1 teaspoon chilli flakes 

3 teaspoons cracked black pepper 

1 whole garlic bulb, broken into cloves 

500g vine tomatoes 

1/3 cup store-bought 

 

Mustard tarragon crème 

½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream 

2 tablespoons hot mustard 

Small handful fresh tarragon leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried 

¼ cup olive oil 

½ teaspoon sea salt 

 

Method  

1. Allow beef fillet to come to near-room temperature before cooking. Rub with oil then sprinkle liberally with salt.

2. Preheat oven to 200 C and place a large shallow roasting dish in to preheat.

3. Place fillet in the hot oven dish and sear on stove top until browned on all sides. Add garlic cloves and tomatoes to the dish before putting in the oven for 30 minutes.

4. Chop fresh herbs on a large chopping board and add chilli flakes and pepper. Remove beef fillet and use tongs to roll hot fillet in herbs and pepper before returning to the oven. Keep checking every 5 minutes for doneness - when cooked to medium-rare it ought to have tightened somewhat but still have some give in it when poked with your finger. Remove fillet, cover with foil then a folded tea towel and rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

5. Make the crème by whisking all ingredients together to a smooth sauce.

6. Serve beef drizzled with pan juices and with oven roasted tomatoes and garlic with mustard crème and pesto.

 

Nici’s Note: When cooking beef to perfection I use the rule of roasting for approx. 12 minutes per 500g for medium rare or 16 minutes for medium. Whole beef fillet can be cooked a day out and then warmed through in a 160 C oven for 20 minutes, before slicing. 

 

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